D-Ring Shoe

Horses undergoing surgery often have their shoes removed for their protection, as well as to avoid damage to padding. However, some horses need shoes such as this during surgery.

A horse that was brought into the Cornell University Equine Hospital needed a shoe that was fabricated by International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame member Steve Kraus to suspend the limb during surgery for a cyst in the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint.

“This leg needed to be held with traction to open the joint,” explains Kraus, the head of Farrier Services and senior lecturer at Cornell University. “The incision approach was on the back of the coffin joint, so enough tension was needed to keep the back of the joint open. We call it the D-Ring shoe. The surgeon hooks obstetrical chains to all three rings, then the limb is elevated by an overhead hoist. The shoe is removed in recovery after surgery while the horse is still unconscious.”

SOURCE: Steve Kraus, CJF, Cornell University